1968 Map of Big Pack Mtn. NW

About this map

Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation lands dominate this mid-century landscape, where the rugged terrain of Wild Horse Bench meets the deep cuts of the Willow Creek drainage. The map documents an era of increasing industrial infrastructure within the high desert, specifically focused on the Island Gas Field. Numerous sites for Gas Wells and a complex network of pipelines—including several segments of aboveground pipeline—crisscross the plateaus and canyons. Key transit points along the water include Squaw Crossing and the Black Bridge, providing essential access through this section of Big Pack Mountain. For those studying the evolution of land use in Uintah County, these 1960s surveys reveal the precise locations of exploration efforts such as the Drill Hole and various prospects set against family-named landmarks like Jim Little Canyon and Brown Canyon.